Gangneung-si Takes Strong Measures Against 'Malicious Complaints'... Reports Abusive and Violent Complainants to Police

Establishment of Ordinance for Civil Servant Protection and Support Measures... Supplementing Blind Spots in Internal CCTV Coverage

Gangneung City Hall [Photo by La Youngcheol]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Gangneung City has decided to take strong measures, including criminal charges, against malicious civil petitioners who continuously verbally abuse and assault public officials.

According to Gangneung City on the 6th, a male petitioner in his 40s, Mr. A, visited the mayor's secretariat around 3:50 p.m. on the 4th and raised a petition to employee Mr. B while shouting and using abusive language.

At the time, Mr. A was intoxicated and demanded "to clear the remaining snow on the road and to lend a snow removal machine." During this process, he damaged property and injured an employee, and was arrested by the police who responded to the report.

It is reported that Mr. A had repeatedly verbally abused public officials without any particular reason since March of last year.

The city is currently enacting the "Ordinance on the Protection and Support of Civil Petition Officers" (Legislative Notice: 21.12.21~22.1.10) to prevent such similar cases from recurring and to protect the human rights and safety of employees.

The ordinance includes provisions for installing safety facilities, preventive education, post-incident psychological counseling, medical expense support, and legal consultation to prevent verbal abuse and assault by malicious petitioners.

Since last year, the city has been operating an administrative phone recording system. Starting this year, it plans to strengthen employee protection facilities within the visitor center and supplement CCTV blind spots inside the office to prepare for malicious petition situations.

A city official said, "Severe verbal abuse and insults from malicious petitioners leave long-lasting psychological trauma," and urged, "Please treat civil petition officers like your own family."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.